Fitness And Fantasy: Living The "Games And Gains" Lifestyle

YouTube personality Jackson "Bajheera" Bliton knows it's possible to be a physically fit gamer, and he's sharing the message with his fans on YouTube and Twitch. Follow this bodybuilder and self-professed nerd as he lifts and plays his way through the day.

Natural bodybuilder and 2015 Muscle Beach physique champion Jackson Bliton seems like your typical lifter. He's jacked, he trains hard, he owns lots of Tupperware, and the workouts he streams live on Twitch can clock in at two hours.

What happens next, though, dispels any notion that Bliton is typical: He'll spend seven hours playing World of Warcraft on live stream.

"It may come as a surprise that there are people who live the 'games and gains' lifestyle," says Bliton, better known by his online handle, Bahjeera. "It's cool to spread that around, to inspire some gamers to hit the gym."

"I'm a self-professed nerd," admits Bliton, as he strolls through the park with his wife. "But gamers do sometimes need to go outside, to take in the fresh air and the hi-def real-life graphics."

Follow Bliton as he takes fans through a typical day, including a vicious live-stream deadlift workout, his secret food hacks, and an epic gaming marathon.

The Gains

Bliton's garage is an interesting blend of home gym, gaming center, and video-production studio. In one corner sits a high-end gaming tower in front of a green screen. To the right is a weight station. A camera tripod ties the two worlds together.

"I've always wanted to put a home gym in the house, so we've been having a lot of fun with that," says Bliton, as he proudly shows off his setup.

Bliton streams his workouts live for fans right in the garage via Twitch. He answers questions between sets, before ending the workout with a Q&A session. Today's workout is strictly deadlifts, so he throws on his gaming headset and begins by warming up with the sumo version. The workout itself, however, comprises conventional deadlifts.

"My ultimate goal is to bring up my 5x5 max, so I figure I'll do 3 sets of 5 at the lower weights, and ramp up the load as I decrease the reps," Bliton explains. "I'm a big fan of volume, even if I'm not lifting quite as heavy."

For most people, deadlifting for two hours would be excruciating, but Bliton isn't "most people." He decides to celebrate with two more reps, this time at 405.

"I'm having fun today!" he gasps during his rest period.

Bahjeera's Super-Fun Deadlift Workout

Warmup: Sumo Deadlift

Deadlift

3 sets of 5 reps at 315 lbs.

3 sets of 5 reps at 335 lbs.

3 sets of 3 reps at 365 lbs.

3 sets of 2 reps at 385 lbs.

3 sets of 1 rep at 405 lbs.

The Fuel Factor

Because of the long hours spent gaming, Bliton knows he has to keep his nutrition on point. He's currently bulking, so his go-to meal three times per day is 12 ounces of chicken and 4 cups of rice in a Tupperware big enough to require two hands. Bliton's "secret" is to drizzle apple cider vinegar on top before he microwaves the meal—it thickens up into a delicious teriyaki-style sauce. He then tops it with salad greens and ranch dressing.

If you think Bliton geeks out over video games, you should see him talk about his evening dessert.

"This stuff is addictive! I take half a container of FairLife chocolate milk and pour it over double-chocolate granola. I'm a chocolate fiend," says Bliton. "If you're not bulking, though, this is cheat-day-only stuff!"

Let The Games Begin

Now that he's finished with his weightlifting and food prep, the gaming portion of the day begins in front of a green screen. Bliton has played World of Warcraft for six years, but today he's test-driving a new release called For Honor. For the next seven hours, Bahjeera's Viking raider fights his way through this medieval hack-and-slash with his fellow gamers, while fans watch on Twitch. You'd think this would be a sedate activity, but Bliton gets so excited it's practically a cardio session.

How do you finish off an action-packed games-and-gains day? "I'm gonna get some food!" says Bliton.

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